OXFORD, England -- A senior Dutch priest criticized media reports on the death of a teenager experiencing depression, accusing foreign media of "sensationalizing euthanasia" in his country.

VATICAN CITY -- The withdrawal of nutrition and hydration from a patient whose body can absorb them is a "serious violation" of the person's dignity, said two Vatican officials.

More than one in every 100 deaths in Canada is administered by a doctor, according to the latest national statistics on euthanasia and assisted suicide.

Despite warnings that an overhaul of health care in Ontario could sideline Catholic values and governance, organizations that represent Catholic hospitals, nursing homes, hospices and health services are optimistic they can be players in a more centralized health system.

As the saying goes, no news is good news.

OTTAWA – Despite granting privileges to a palliative care physician who supports Canada’s euthanasia law, the Catholic identity of Elisabeth Bruyère Hospital is not threatened, said Ottawa’s archbishop.

OTTAWA – Euthanasia opponents welcomed news that Canada’s new Attorney General David Lametti says the Liberal government has no plans to expand access to assisted suicide in the near future.

New evidence heard in court has given Ontario’s medical conscientious objectors renewed hope.

Britain’s Royal College of Physicians has adopted a neutral position on assisted suicide until they hear back from British doctors on whether they favour changing United Kingdom laws against doctors helping their patients commit suicide.

Canadian Physicians for Life is mobilizing its members for a grassroots appeal to politicians to protect doctors who do not wish to participate in any way in the assisted suicide of patients.

Lack of respect

Re: Van Hee launches a constitutional challenge of bubble zone law (Dec. 2):

Thank you for the good coverage of pro-life hero Fr. Tony Van Hee.

The undemocratic bubble-zone law, in effect forbidding helpful outreach to pregnant women seeking an abortion, really needs to be challenged. But I have one question about the headline in The Register, in reference to Fr. Tony Van Hee as simply “Van Hee.” This sounds cold and disrespectful.

I am aware it is standard practice in the media to refer to people in headlines by only their surnames, and not their titles. But might not this lack of respect also tie into society’s disrespect of human life, and even God Himself? Just musing.

Yvonne Dienesch,

Eganville, Ont.

HONOLULU, Hawaii – Hawaii's law legalizing assisted suicide went into effect last week, but many physicians and pharmacists are choosing not to prescribe or dispense the needed medication.

One way to view world history could be through a lens of justice. In courts, on battlefields, in parliaments and in many other settings where humans interact, justice has been a constant pursuit — but remains elusive in so many ways.

OTTAWA – The Liberal government has promised to study three new reports on the possible expansion of the euthanasia law to include minors and those who suffer from mental disorders, but advocacy groups warn the government will likely expand the law after the 2019 election.